


Cycle

by soer



Series: don't blink or you'll miss it (but that's okay too) [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-19 04:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1455955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soer/pseuds/soer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He feels like they’ve met before. He just doesn’t realize how right he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cycle

**Author's Note:**

> Happy AkaFuri Day everyone! I first came up with this idea a year ago, when I first read exordia’s To a Stranger, but only a few parts were concrete to me at the time. I wanted to get more works in for today, but this ended up longer than I thought it would be, so it took up most of my time. Anyway, I hope the characters aren’t too terrible. While writing this I listened to various versions of [Interviewer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7KkJMabhWg) on repeat, so I recommend the song as a suggestion. See more notes at the end of this piece.

**1.**

Footsteps pounded up the staircase and the brunet pushed the doors open in a hurry as he ran into the spacious room where two people sat waiting, tense. There was no time to rest though.

“We don’t have much time. Kuroko, take Sei-sama out the passage,” the brunet said as he rushed past them and pulled open the hidden door hidden on the other side of the wall. The paler man followed him, one hand tight around the five year old he tugged to walk beside him, stopping just before the dark tunnel.

“How bad is it?” Kuroko’s voice was monotonous as usual, but Furihata was still able to detect a trace of fear.

“Bad. Kawahara and Fukuda sent me up ahead to warn you guys, but that was only a couple of minutes ago.”

Kuroko’s eyes burned into his intently, hesitant to ask, but he did anyway – he needed to know. “And Aomine-kun?” his voice feather-light almost unspoken, but the brunet heard it as clear as day.

Furihata could only shake his head sadly. “I’m sorry Kuroko, but Aomine has fallen, and Himuro too… I don’t have high hopes for Kawahara or Fukuda.” He stared into Kuroko’s light blue eyes with fierceness. “We’re the only ones left and I need you two to get to safety. When you exit the tunnel, head for town. Kagami will be waiting there for you.”

Kuroko frowned. “Furihata, what about you?”

Furihata gave him a smile. “I have to make sure you can’t be followed. Be safe, Kuroko.”

Kuroko gripped his friend’s arm and nodded. “These lives won’t be lost in vain, Furihata. I can promise you that.”

“Good.” Furihata said and handed Kuroko a small lamp for his journey.

“Come on, Sei-sama.” Kuroko said, stepping into the darkness and tugging the child to follow behind him.

“But, what about Kouki? Isn’t he coming with us?” the small child asked. He was still too young to understand the full extent of what was happening, and Furihata exchanged a glance with Kuroko before answering. He had always been the younger one’s favorite, so he would be the one to appease him now.

“Sei-sama, listen to me.” Furihata crouched down until he was eye level with the boy. “Right now, you have to go with Kuroko, do you understand? Some very bad people are looking for you, but Kuroko and Kagami will protect you, so make sure you behave and listen to them, alright? It’s a matter of life and death.”

Seijuurou nodded slowly. “But what about you?”

Furihata ruffled his hair. “Sorry Sei-sama. I can’t come with you and I don’t have time to explain right now. You have to stay strong, okay?” Faintly, he heard the pounding footsteps, and quickly, he drew the child into a hug. “Promise me you’ll do what Kuroko and Kagami says, okay?”

When Furihata felt Seijuurou’s small nod he picked him up and handed him to Kuroko with an apologetic look. “It’ll be faster if you carry him. There’s no time to waste. Stay safe, and give my regards to Kagami.”

Kuroko nodded and without another word ran down the tunnel. Furihata wasted no time in closing the door and sealing the door shut, hiding it from view. The footsteps were more prominent now and Furihata dragged all that he could to barricade the door that opened up to the hallway. It would only buy him a moment, but even that moment would give Kuroko and their young charge time to escape. Nevertheless, Furihata stood tense and at the ready with his sword in hand in the middle of the room. Like he predicted, the door was forcefully shoved opened moment later, hindered only slightly by the blockade Furihata had created. But that was all the opening Furihata needed. As soon as a person came through, Furihata was there before them, and steel clashed against steel. 

Kuroko burst out of the tunnel and was relieved to find the clearing empty and devoid of soldiers. Hurriedly he tightened his hold on the child and made his way to town through the forest. He had no idea how much of a head start he had, but he had to get as far as he could. He spotted Kagami at the town’s entrance and upon seeing the two of them, Kagami exhaled in relief.

“Kuroko, thank god.”

“I’m relieved to see you as well Kagami-kun, but we have no time to rest. I got a head start, but I don’t know how soon they’ll be here. We have to go now. Do you have a horse or a plan to get out of here?”

“Yeah, the Meikou caravan agreed to let us tag along. They’re leaving in five minutes, so I’m really glad you got here,” Kagami said, leading them to where the caravan was. “How bad is it?”

Kuroko shook his head. “Really bad, Kagami-kun. We’re the only ones left.”

Kagami’s step faltered. “Only us? Are you sure? What about Tatsuya?” His questions were asked in quick succession.

Kuroko only gave him a sad look. “Aomine-kun and Himuro-kun didn’t make it and Furihata-kun was the last face we saw. I’m sure, Kagami-kun.”

Kagami clenched his fist but said nothing more. They both knew he wished he had been there to help fight, but it was good that he had remained in town last night – even if it had been an accident, they had a higher rate of survival with him by their side. They entered the caravan and quickly discarded their outfits to change into something more fitting, setting a brown hooded-robe over Akashi’s head to hide his more distinctive features. As the caravan set down the road, the three of them noticed a large plume of smoke in the distance. The two guards’ breath caught in their throat. The smoke came from the mansion, the home they lived in for most of their lives. They would never be able to return.

But the young heir was between them, tangible and alive. As long as he survived, then their friends’ deaths wouldn’t be in vain. And one day, they would set things right.

But not now.

For now, they had to survive.

**2.**

Slowly two eyes opened to stare at the white ceiling hanging above her.

“Seika, you’re awake!” A woman’s voice filled her ear with relief.  “How do you feel?”

“Ugghn… Mama?” The young girl slowly tried to sit up, unsure of why she felt so tired.

“Darling, you just had surgery. Take it easy okay?” Her father said, as her mother helped her sit up.

With those words her memories cut through the fog. That was right. She had finally gotten surgery.

She would be okay.

Seika smiled with happiness.

“That’s right! I got surgery!” She hugged her mother tightly. “I’m going to okay from now on, right?”

Her mother nodded and hugged her back. “That’s right Seika. You’re going to be fine and we can celebrate your sixteenth birthday wherever you want in a month. Oh, Seika.”

Her father joined the two in their hug. The past years had been hard on them ever since they discovered Seika’s illness. She needed a transplant but a match had been severely difficult to find. It was only just recently, when they had all but given up hope, that a match had gone through and she was wheeled into surgery immediately. And it was a success.

A thought occurred to her then, and she pulled back from her parents. “Mama, Papa, where is Kouki? Can I see him?”

Her parents exchanged glances with each other. “Darling, Furihata-san isn’t here at the moment,” her father said gently.

Seika pouted. “Why not? He promised he’d be here when I woke up again.”

Her mother took out a white envelope from her purse and handed it to her.  “He apologized for not being here and asked us to hand you this letter instead.”

Seika frowned but took it from her mother anyway, and opened it.

_Hey there Sei._

_Sorry I can’t there to see you wake up even though I promised. Something urgent came up, so this letter will have to do instead. How do you feel? I hope the surgery was a success._

A small smile graced Seika’s face as she read the letter. It was so like her dear friend that she could practically hear the words come off the page as if he was talking to her in person.

 _Remember when I first met you? You were such a rude girl to the nurses, demanding to be taken outside even though everyone was so busy. Somehow, I ended up wheeling you outside, even though I was a patient too. We sat under the autumn leaves that day, and I read out loud to you from my novel,_ Kokoro _by Natsume Soseki. It wasn’t your typical reading material or mine either, but I remember we both got pretty into it. You even insisted on reading some parts aloud while I listened. Can you believe it?  It’s only been one year since we met, yet I remember it like yesterday.  Sometimes I wonder how it could be that we ended up as such good friends but most of the time I was just glad to be with you._

A laugh escaped her and she recalled the memory with fondness. She too, remembered when they had met. A quiet, mousy looking teenager sitting on a bench reading a novel silently while she demanded a nurse take her outside, having been tired of staying cooped inside. He was a new face, and somehow she managed to coerce him into taking her out for a walk. They’d stopped under a nice spot and then she had him read out loud to her, curious about the content. They ended up finishing the book in week, reading parts during walks outside, and moved on to another and another. The moment itself became a routine and on days they couldn’t go outside, they spent their time between rooms mostly with Seika teaching Kouki how to play shogi. He was a lousy opponent, but it was the most fun Seika had ever had playing.

 _I never told you this, but before I met you, I was really a wreck. I moved around hospitals so many times that I’ve lost count, but meeting you changed my outlook on life. It’s only fitting, I suppose, since this is my last hospital. It’s yours too, isn’t it Seika? After these years, you’ll finally be able to walk around of your own accord and never have to stay another night surrounded by these confining white walls again. When you get out, I want to you put your all into living alright? You’re only fifteen, and finally, your life can begin. Remember the book we finished last week?_ Hashire Melos _? And you joked that you could see me as Melos and yourself as Selinuntius… you would be wrong, since I wouldn’t be so bold as to assassinate anyone, least of all a king, and I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to save your life instead of mine, given the circumstances and a choice._

Seika paused in her reading with a frown. She didn’t like the tone of where the letter was going, but she wasn’t going to stop halfway either.

_What I mean to say is, I did exactly that, Sei. I couldn’t be there for you after you woke up because… well, because I was on the other side of that table. I was your match, the only one available, and if I didn’t do this, you were going to die. I couldn’t let that happen, you know I wouldn’t._

Her breath caught, eyes widened at the statement.

_Please don’t beat yourself up or think I’m selfless Sei, because I’m really not. I wanted to live as much as you do, but unlike you, my time was shorter, and I didn’t have a match. I never told you, but I’ve been deteriorating, and I knew that this year would be my last. I’m glad I met you Sei. You were my best companion, the ray of light shining in a place that had already been shrouded in darkness. Please don’t be sad. This was my choice, and I don’t regret it. They didn’t ask me you know. I volunteered, so please respect this choice of mine. I think we’ve spent enough time in sadness. Now that there’s opportunity I think the only way to move forward is with happiness, don’t you agree?_

She couldn’t help the sob that escaped her.

_Did you know? I’d given up before I met you, but you brought me back, and suddenly it didn’t matter anymore. For once, since I first met with my doctor, I had a shard of joy in me. That was thanks to you, Sei, only you. If there’s any regret to be had, I have only one. I wish I could be there with you Sei, right by your side. I wanted to be there when you wake up, but I guess since that’s impossible, I’ll have to settle for the second option. Go out into the world Sei, and live the best life you can for the both of us. Feel every emotion you can, experience every moment you can._

_Your dear friend,  
Furihata Kouki_

_P.S. You know, you’ve never looked more beautiful than the first time I saw you smile so openly with the autumn leaves fluttering down around you. And I’m sorry I never got to tell you this in person, but there’s one more thing I want you to know._

_I love you Seika._

Her cries echoed through the room, and filled the halls of the hospital, never lapsing for a moment that day. And in a different room, a nurse covered an occupied bed with a white sheet sadly. It was these moments that she hated the most, but there really was nothing that could be done about it. If there was any consolation, at least he still had the remnants of a smile on his face. It was always hard when they were so young, (though eighteen was practically an adult), but she liked to think they were finally free from suffering.

**3.**

Rain fell harshly on the riders but they charged their horses forward nevertheless. The cloaks they wore flapped harshly against them but it didn’t bother them in slightest. Their goal was up ahead – within a few yards they would arrive at their destination.

But they were ambushed before they could get there, and had to split up.

“Akashi-sama, Riko’s group was able to draw them away but there’s a chance that more of them are lying in wait up ahead.” Mibuchi warned, riding next to Akashi.

“We can take them.”

Mayuzumi rode over to them at the moment. “Prince, I’ve detected the castle up ahead. Should we charge ahead or wait for the others to arrive?”

“Do we have any way of knowing where they are?”

“I can scout the area but I’m afraid it’ll take too much time.”

“Then we’ll charge ahead and trust they arrive in time.”

They arrived at the castle and struck down the sentries almost immediately, climbing the wall and leaving the gate down and open for the rest of their party. Stealthily they bypassed the courtyard with no problem, but it was inside the castle that the problem arose. It seemed the enemy had been prepared for their break-in, and Akashi couldn’t help but be disappointed that they hadn’t decided to underestimate them. Things would’ve been easier if they had.

Most of the enemy’s focus rested on Akashi as he was the threat, but that didn’t mean he was helpless or that his guards should be taken lightly either. Mibuchi Reo, Hayama Kotarou, Nebuya Eikichi, and Mayuzumi Chihiro were of the elite guard – of _his_ elite guard and they were nothing but the best. But even if that was the case, anyone would be overwhelmed by the number of continuous soldiers that kept pouring out of the walls. Even if they could cut those members down, their stamina and strength would be severely lowered by the time they reached their target, the king and heir who had usurped this land. Luckily, Aida Riko’s force arrived at the scene, and the numbers in her party helped to push back the defending forces quite easily.

“Took you long enough,” Mibuchi commented as he clashed with another sword.

“Sorry, we were occupied,” Hyuuga said, taking down another soldier who had come from the side.

“I’m going up ahead,” Akashi said, heading up the stairs with both Mayuzumi and Hayama following behind him.

“That’s not enough,” Hyuuga muttered before raising his voice so it could be heard over the din. “All those available follow after Akashi-sama!”

This was echoed by several “for the Prince!” shouts by their allies, but only three of them were actually close enough to follow after the redhead.

“We’ll be headed up, Captain,” Furihata said as he rushed past, twisting to the side to evade a stray blade and scurried up the stairs where his prince had been noted climbing. He was followed closely by Fukuda and Kawahara.

The three of them weren’t surprised to see the dark stairwell empty, since the three who had gone ahead of them were pretty fast. They pushed themselves to go faster so as to catch up easier. At the end of the passage, they were surprised to find it led to the rooftop, a spacious platform covered by armored soldiers warding off their three companions. But the truth was that Mayuzumi and Hayama were more than capable of holding off the soldiers that surrounded them in order to keep them away from their young prince who was confronting the heir to the bastard of a king.

“Kawahara and I will help Mayuzumi and Hayama,” Fukuda said. “Furi, you’re on stand-by to help Akashi okay?”

Furihata nodded and his friends rushed away from him to join their companions in the fray while he stuck to the shadows discreetly, keeping an eye on the battlefield as a whole, especially his prince and the king standing in the distance away from all the fighting.

“You should’ve stayed in the dumpster where you belong!” The current prince sneered as he deftly blocked Akashi’s blade and shoved him backwards. But Akashi was quick to recover and lunged forward with his sword.

“Like you’re one to talk. Don’t forget, but _I_ am the true heir who holds the blood of this land.” Akashi said as he pressed the other back with force. “You and your despicable father usurped my family, but I will right that wrong.”

“What does that matter? Only the strong should rule.” The other said, jumping back and then forward again, at the same time bringing down his sword which Akashi’s quickly blocked. “Your pathetic parents were too weak to fight so we cut them down like flies. And you were a coward too, weren’t you?” He barked out a laugh and pressed down harder. “The only survivor of the Akashi family – did the guilt of living at your parents’ expense eat away at you? I bet it did.”

Akashi snarled with rage and a strength he didn’t know he had surged up within him, giving him the power to disarm his opponent in a series of quick successive movement. “The strong should rule?” he asked as he knocked the man down on the floor and pressed his foot down to keep him pinned. “I agree completely.” One quick stroke was all it took to end it – the head went flying across the floor.

But being so engrossed in his fight, Akashi failed to notice the figure approaching from behind him. Mayuzumi, Hayama, Fukuda, and Kawahara were preoccupied with keeping the soldiers back and away, and they were too far away to notice either. But Furihata, who had stood on the side biding his time, noticed the figure – his sharp eyes had been focused and watching the whole time, so when that man moved, so did he.

“Ungh!”

Akashi quickly turned at the sound and his eyes widened in shock at the sight that met him. Somehow, the small but nimble Furihata had managed to twist himself into the narrow space between Akashi and the king, in the process taking the blow that was meant for the redhead. It didn’t matter that Furihata had tried to block the attack with his sword – the king’s strength was no match for the smaller brunet and the feeble barrier between them was flung aside, discarded as easily as kicking a pebble on the side of a road.

Pain lanced through Furihata’s chest and he fell backward onto his prince limply, struggling to stay awake despite the pain that threatened to send him unconscious. The front of his chest was splattered in blood and he choked to feel the steel of the king’s blade deep within him sliding out, ready for a second blow that would reach his intended target.

“Kouki!” The cry ripped out of Akashi and he clutched Furihata’s body desperately. “Stay with me!”

“Akashi watch out!” Mayuzumi called from across the room, his voice carrying a trace of panic as he saw the king raise his sword a second time. That moment of distraction was enough for an opponent to strike Mayuzumi down, but Kawahara took the blow instead, knowing his skills were nowhere close to Mayuzumi’s and that they had a higher chance of success with the grey-haired man still in the game than not. Seeing his friend fall, Fukuda was quick to exact revenge, but not fast enough to evade the blade that came at him in defense. So he too, fell. But Akashi was not so distracted that he could not defend himself. In fact, it was the opposite – Akashi’s anger at what happened fueled his movements and with renewed strength he leapt up and slashed downward, putting all the strength he had into taking down the man who had destroyed his life.

And with that stroke, everything was over.

But instead of being overwhelmed with satisfaction at the completion of his goal, Akashi’s thoughts were only focused on his fallen companion. “Kouki, can you hear me?” Akashi asked, clutching the other tightly. “Hang in there, Shintarou will here soon.”

Furihata coughed weakly and felt the blood trickle down his mouth without his control. “Sorry Sei,” he said weakly. “I guess I should’ve spent more time training, huh?”

“You idiot, how could you do such a thing? There’s a reason I put you Aida’s group!”

“You’re the idiot Sei. Do you really think I would’ve stood on the sidelines and do nothing at all?” He felt tired and weak, and the pain was dizzying but he forced himself to stay awake. In the background he heard the last of the soldiers fall and a shout from Hayama that he would go fetch Midorima, but the words were barely comprehensible, being so far in the distance. He coughed. “Sei, I feel tired.”

“Kouki, don’t you dare go to sleep!” Akashi ordered, not caring about the desperation that leaked through his voice. “You promised me you would see me seated back on the throne remember? Are you telling me you intend to break that promise?”

“But, everything hurts, and I feel so tired…” Kouki looked up at Akashi’s eyes and gave him a smile. “Hey, don’t feel so sad. We made it at last you know?” There were faint but pounding footsteps on the stairs indicating a large party was on their way up. “Remember when I first found you among the cabbages in the alley?” He coughed and tenderly rested a hand on Akashi’s cheek. “You’ve come so far since that time.”

Akashi clutched Furihata’s other hand tightly and squeezed it. “But I couldn’t do it without you, Kouki. You might have just been a commoner and I an exiled prince, but if you hadn’t found me on that day, then I wouldn’t be here now.” He couldn’t help the tears that rolled down his cheeks and threatened to blur his vision but he wouldn’t dream of looking away. Not now.

“Silly Sei. What are you crying for?” Furihata said as he felt the small droplets patter onto his cheek. He felt the darkness edge closer, and despite the feet that were crossing over to help them, he knew there wasn’t enough time. “You’re my best friend and I’d do anything for you, even give up my own life.” He smiled Akashi. “Promise me one thing, Sei. Promise me you’ll be the greatest king to ever rule this land, okay?”

Akashi nodded. “I promise, Kouki. Please, just hang in there!” He pleaded, and barely noticed his approaching companions who had finally made their way up the rooftop after taking out all the opposition.

“Sorry Sei.”

His eyes closed and he sank into darkness, his hand falling limp at his side. He was no longer aware of anything, least of all the hold of a man who clutched his still form desperately, crying out his name repeatedly. He didn’t hear his companions mourn him among others, just felt a tap on his shoulder, and turning, his face broke out into a smile.

“Come on, Furi,” Fukuda said with a smile and Kawahara grinned at him. Together the trio walked toward the light among their other fallen comrades. They could rest easy now, knowing they had accomplished what they came to do.

**4.**

Akashi stood on the curb among a whole crowd of people all waiting for the signal that would allow them to cross. He was supposed to meet up with his girlfriend in a couple of minutes so they could enjoy lunch at the new café that had opened up nearby and then go see the new Captain America movie that had been recently released. Akashi had been greatly looking forward to seeing the fight scenes between Captain America and the mysterious Winter Soldier ever since he saw the trailer some weeks ago.

His phone beeped with a message and he frowned to see it was from his old girlfriend. He was certain that he had blocked her number already, but somehow she managed to send him messages anyway. He felt a sour taste in the back of throat and the great mood he had started out with felt as if was draining out of him, as it often did when he made contact with her, that annoyance.

 _I miss you Sei. Where are you?_ The message read but he didn’t bother replying, instead adding it to his already long list of blocked numbers. The sender was an unknown number but he knew it was her from the message’s content. She always started it with “I miss you, Sei” ever since he broke up with her and told her that he didn’t want to see her again. Akashi sighed. He really needed to visit the phone company soon.

Another message arrived and he felt his lips curve in a smile as he read the message from his current girlfriend. She had already reached the café and was waiting for him outside.

He looked up and was annoyed to find the street still blocked with cars. When would he be allowed to cross? The people behind him were restless as well, since they all had some destination to reach in a hurry. Another message popped up and he frowned at its content.

Really, would she never give up?

His previous girlfriend had been a cute mousy girl who was normal enough at the start of their relationship together, but as it progressed, he noticed a change in her personality. She grew too clingy, and demanding, often turning jealous if he so much as glance at another woman for a second too long. In short, she was nothing like the girl he had first noticed and got to know well in the library. And when he told her he wanted to break up, she had flipped, and jumped on him, her hands like iron around his throat. She would have strangled him then and there if they hadn’t been interrupted by a classmate at that moment, purely coincidental but it had saved his life nevertheless.

So he moved away to another school and filed a restraining order against her, but that still hadn’t been enough to keep her away from him. After that day, he’s received more than dozens of messages and calls from her, ranging from her pleading with him to give her a second chance to sending him death threats, her jealousy fueling her rage and spiking through the roof when she found out he gotten a new girlfriend, indicating he had moved on from her.

He had changed his phone number countless times yet her messages never failed to reach him, even in the dead of the night. To be honest, it was creepy and he hated her for her actions. He looked up and clucked his tongue in annoyance. Why hadn’t the light changed yet?

Akashi lost his grip on his phone as he was suddenly shoved forward without warning, a careless jostle from the man next to him, and he regretted standing so close to the edge of the curb in the first place. There was honk to his right and he paled to see a truck barreling right at him. Akashi tried to move, tried to get out of the way, but his limbs were frozen and wouldn’t obey him. Was this how his life would end? The thought had never occurred to him. The truck was almost upon him now, and he closed his eyes, bracing for the impact that was sure to come.

Someone grabbed him then and he found himself shoved to the side. A split second before impact sounded, words were briefly whispered into his ear. His eyes flew opened and he wanted to retch at the sight before him. All traffic had come to a halt in the light of the accident that had just occurred but the crowd’s panic was a dim drone that washed over Akashi. He could focus on nothing but his own thoughts.

He knew he wanted her to stop, but he hadn’t ever expected things to end up like this. Maybe he should feel relief, the fact that his crazy ex-girlfriend would never again bother him, but that just seemed wrong in light of what she just did. Even if he hated her and was tired of feeling harassed, he didn’t think she quite deserve to die like that.

_“Sorry to have caused you so much trouble, Sei.”_

The voice had been gentle and familiar, one he hadn’t heard in a while, not since he first met her in the library one spring day. Furihata Kyouko who recommended him books and was shy around horses, who loved pecan ice cream and dancing on the beach. Furihata Kyouko who had been spiraling out of control, latching onto him like a lifeline in her desperate grasp for control and sanctuary, but going about it all in the wrong ways. She’d given up her life for him even though she had been the first one to try and take it away, and Akashi couldn’t quite wrap his head around the idea, couldn’t feel anything but numbness.

The paramedics arrived, but the girl was already gone, just another name on the city’s list of those deceased. The day would go on as it always had, unhindered by the fact that one speck of light had been extinguished just a moment ago. That life was one among many among the countless lives that made up the world. He, too, would move on from the event until it was his time as well.

**5.**

Akashi is pleased to see that every single member had adhered to his summons, not even one of the five missing. Although it seems their phantom sixth has brought along two others, Akashi decides he can ignore them for the moment (after testing Tetsuya’s new light of course). When he dismisses them, he does not know why the brunet’s features stick in his mind.

The second time they meet is on the court, Rakuzan versus Seirin with the latter team having difficulty in keeping up with Rakuzan’s superior power. The brunet gets subbed in and everyone is shocked that he, a shaky first-year, is the one to mark Akashi. Seirin must have a death wish, they think, but the young coach has her reasons, and they can see the difference her choice has made, no matter how slight, after a moment. When Akashi faces him on the court there’s a pounding sensation at the back of his mind, but it’s fairly slight, nothing too distracting.

Even though he’s intimidated, the brunet keeps up his defense, supporting his team in the best way he can until his stamina runs out and he’s replaced by another first year. Akashi doesn’t know where the disappointment comes from, but he dismisses it without a second thought – nothing matters except victory.

Except he finds out that it does matter, that even after the game is over, he still feels restless and fidgety, like having an itch that simply won’t leave him alone. But it’s a strange kind of itch – if he concentrates on it, he feels like a hole is threatening to open up in his chest, and flashes of emotion rushes past him, leaving him feeling empty and strange afterwards. It’s distracting and it makes him uneasy, for it has been too long since he felt anything other than the need of absolute authority. This is a completely different feeling, and it’s _unnerving_.

He doesn’t understand why it doesn’t go away. Perhaps he’s contracted some horrible disease?

He goes on with his life. Basketball might have been just a sport, but it’s the one thing that has ever affected him so much in one lifetime. That and the people who play the sport – the people he brought together and the people he found along the way. The ache that appeared during the Winter Cup subsides eventually, but sometimes resurfaces in moments that he least expects it to.

It’s when he’s walking down the streets of Tokyo and bumps into another person that the ache flares up so sudden, and the flashes overwhelm him without warning. He chokes on it.

“Hey, are you alright?” He hears a voice say, and hands hold him, steadying his shaky form. When he looks up, he is surprised to see the brunet from Tetsuya’s team looking at him in concern. The pounding in him both subsided and increased, but the intensity was less than it had been before. Akashi stares at the teenager for only a moment before grabbing his hand in an iron grip and dragging him off the street into a more secluded area, all prior plans discarded and forgotten without a second thought.

He corners the brunet and stares intently at him with furrowed brows, trying to figure out Furihata’s connection to the ache within him. He feels like they’ve met before, and not just in basketball. But he can’t place it. Maybe a direct approach would be better. So he shakes away what threatens to drown him ( _confusion, anguish, desperation, and numbness, but above all, hope, hope that twines through all the other feelings like a weaver’s string, strong and endless, tangible and untouchable, all at the same time)_ and opens his mouth.

“Have we met before?”

**-**

Their lives are a cycle, a turning wheel that spins continuously, meticulously. They’ve been connected by fate, and it’s ensured that they’ll always meet, in one way or another. But the future doesn’t need to follow the past, isn’t required to be dictated by what happened before.

Perhaps this time will be different from the others.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is finally finished. How did you like it? I admit, when I first wrote it I didn’t expect it would end up being so long, but as always, the scenes just expand and get drawn out. And though I already the idea in mind, I didn’t expect to tear up while writing the end of the second and the third parts of their story. I imagine Seika's hair style and figure to be quite like Manaka from Nagi no Asukara, actually. And Furihata was supposed to be an adorable mousy girl, but when I wrote it out, she transformed into a yandere ^^;; and I ended up sticking with it, because why not? A lot of things were generalized because of time constrictions and by the fact that I’m not an expert, but I hope that you enjoyed reading this despite that fact. Also I am thankful for [jiyuuhonpou’s reference list](http://jiyuuhonpou.tumblr.com/post/46214955340/the-books-which-kuroko-reads) – it’s good that someone has got that lying around! Anyway, Happy AkaFuri Day everyone!
> 
> Written: 4/11 - 4/12, 2014


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